Yes, it’s that time of year again… but there’s still lots of other stuff to keep you occupied. So if the mere thought of being accosted by yet another young person waving flyers gives you a fit of the vapours, read on.
From counting wildflowers in the Pentlands to river dipping in the Water of Leith, you should find something here to take your mind off things. And no, there are no ‘how to escape the city’ events this weekend… if you’re still here by now, I’m afraid you’re stuck with it; normal service will resume next month. Enjoy!
Please remember to check details of all events with the organisers before setting out.
MONDAY 3RD AUGUST 2015
Picturehouses Toddler Time – today with The Teapot Trust! Short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today’s film is The Hive, Programme 5 (U): join Buzzbee and his friends in their fun-packed adventures. Every day brings something new for the little bee as he explores the world around him with best pals Barnabee, Debee, Jaspar the wasp, and his sister Rubee. As an extra today, The Teapot Trust, an Edinburgh-based charity providing art therapy for children with chronic illnesses, will be offering fun arts and crafts activities after the film. 
11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 for children, free for accompanying adults, and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online. No adult unaccompanied by a toddler will be admitted.
WHALE Arts Jewellery Making: a free drop-in session for ages 8+. 10am-12 noon, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. All welcome!
Pentland Hills Regional Park Wildflower Meadow Survey: help survey the wildflowers at Bavelaw Marsh, located within a Site of Specific Scientific Interest. Bring sturdy footwear and waterproofs! 1.30-3.30pm, Threipmuir Car Park, Balerno EH14 7JT. Booking is essential: please contact Pentland Hills Regional Park HQ, Hermitage of Braid, 69a Braid Road, tel: 0131 529 2401. Free.
Guided Tour of the National Library: a tour of the building and an introduction to the Library’s collections and history. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Record Breakers: Larry Potty’s Animal Rhymes. For ages 4-7. 2.30pm, Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North. Please book by calling the library on 0131 529 5549.
Grassmarket Community Cinema: Crash (15). The powerful story of Los Angeles citizens with vastly different lives colliding in an interweaving story of race, loss and redemption. An incredible ensemble cast (including Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon), give some almost uncomfortably brave performances of bigotry and racism. ‘A raw and unsettling morality piece on modern angst and urban disconnect’ (Rotten Tomatoes). 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!
On The Beach: free sports and beach games every day this week for children aged 5+. Led by qualified coaches and youth workers, with drinks and fruit provided. 2-4pm, meet on the beach in front of Portobello Swim Centre, 57 Promenade (corner of Belfield Street), Portobello. Also at same times on Tuesday 4th, Wednesday 5th, Thursday 6th and Friday 7th August.
Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions – (1) John Bellany: The Capercaillie’s Song. Works selected by Helen Bellany reveal a personal view of her journey as John Bellany’s lifelong muse and inspiration, brought to life through key works from the family collection; (2) Joanne Thompson: Weave. Celebrating Joanne Thompson’s 20th year as a maker, this exhibition showcases new wearable sculptural forms which balance elements of 3D visual art and contemporary jewellery. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. Both exhibitions end 2nd September 2015.
New Town and Broughton Community Council Meeting: this month’s meeting will include a Q & A session with Julian Farrar and Janet Pope of Ironside Farrar Design Consultants on design principles for George Street. They have set up a focus group of key stakeholders – including NTBCC – to formulate design principles. 7.30pm, Drummond Room, Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent. All local residents welcome: if you have an issue you wish to raise, please use the contact form on the NTBCC’s website to give them advance notice.
EICC’s InnovationNation – Arts: Kath M Mainland CBE, Chief Executive Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, and Fergus Linehan, Festival Director and Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festival, will talk on two of the world’s biggest festivals. There will be refreshments and an opportunity for networking after the talks. 6pm, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, The Exchange. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here. The InnovationNation series is a programme of themed seminars, open to the public, with a line-up of inspirational speakers.
Personal Organiser: get ready for the start of a new term by making your own fridge magnet organiser – never forget your homework deadlines, trips and invitations! With Margaret Lowrey. 2.30-4pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
Picturehouses Culture Shock: bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today’s film is The Breakfast Club (15) – when five very different high school students are forced to spend a Saturday together in detention, they find themselves interacting with and understanding each other for the first time – but will they still speak to each other when they return to classes? John Hughes’ ‘true teen classic with timeless appeal’. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online; prices vary.
Working with Artists: Julie-Ann Delaney, Curator, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, will give a tour of two new displays featuring specially commissioned works by contemporary artists Michael Fullerton and Julie Favreau. Both rooms form part of the REFLECTIONS exhibition and have been produced as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival. Ms Delaney will also talk more widely about the ways in which the gallery works with living artists. 12.45-1.30pm, First Floor, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
St Mary’s Cathedral Phoebe Anna Traquair Song School Murals Tours: painted between 1888 and 1892, Traquair’s acclaimed murals, restored in 1998, illustrate the canticle Benedicite omnia opera. Showing the pre-Raphaelite influence, they are a moving expression of faith. 11am or 12 noon, today and Monday to Saturday throughout August (except 19th August) St Mary’s Cathedral (meet at Cathedral entrance), Palmerston Place. Free.
South Queensferry Creative Writing Group: a friendly group suitable for complete beginners – all you need to bring are your writing materials! 6.30pm tonight and the first Monday of every month, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road. For more information please email shirley.bell@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace and your Meyer from your Heyer, try Blackwell’s book quiz, with questions on anything from classics to current bestsellers, Booker Prize winners and celebrity biographies. Teams of up to 5 people can take part. 6-7.15pm, Caffe Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free and unticketed, but please arrive early as space is limited.
Portrait Gallery: Daily Highlight Tours. Discover more about the history of the building and explore highlights from the collection with a curator, educator or gallery attendant. 3-3.30pm today and every day until 28th August 2015, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but numbers are limited to 15 per tour, so please book your place at the Portrait Gallery information desk.
Poetry at The Sutton Gallery: Graham Foust, Jane Goldman and Innua Ellams read from their work. 7pm, The Sutton Gallery, 18a Dundas Street. Free and unticketed.
LGBT Police Surgery: seek advice, raise concerns around safety issues, report incidents or discuss policing in your area with an officer from Police Scotland. No appointment needed for this informal session, which is held within the weekly Drop-in. 6.30-7.30pm (Drop-in runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For advice around safety issues or to arrange an appointment with Police Scotland outwith surgery times, please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or george@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Celtic Summer School: Celtic Storytelling. Renowned storyteller David Campbell takes you into the heart of Celtic tradition and the ceilidh spirit – experience the sources and skills of traditional storytelling. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Andrea Popyordanova, Viktoriya Staykova and Mark Connolly: A Circus of Lakes. A new exhibition of paintings. Launch tonight with refreshments, 7.30pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street, then during usual opening hours. Ends 13th August 2015.
Celtic Summer School: Norse Influence on Scottish Culture. Talk about ‘Viking raiders’ has obscured the long-lasting and fruitful interchange between Scotland and Scandinavia. Learn more about our Norse inheritance with Stuart McHardy. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Celtic Summer School: Scotland’s Democracy Trail Walk. Follow the gripping story of Scotland’s democratic development on a walk with Jean Bareham from Calton Hill to the Scottish Parliament. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre (starts), 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Mondays: popular classics on the silver screen in Sofi’s cosy darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is The Commitments (12): Jimmy Rabbitte, a self-proclaimed promoter, decides to organise an R & B group to fill the musical void in Dublin. Based on the novel by Roddy Doyle. 8pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street.
The Art of Giving: a charity art exhibition in support of International Voluntary Service. 10am-4pm, Undercroft Cafe, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Ends 29th August 2015. There will be an Opening Gala on Saturday 8th August, 3-7pm.
TUESDAY 4th AUGUST 2015
Bookbug Teddy Bears’ Picnic: songs, stories and picnic snacks – bring along your Teddy’s best friend! For ages 5-12. 11am-12 noon, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.
Golden Hare Book Group: this month the group will discuss Evie Wyld’s highly acclaimed novel All The Birds, Singing. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. All welcome: for more information please contact the shop on 0131 629 1396. Next month’s book will be Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Spotlight Tours: Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, City Art Centre (meet at reception), 2 Market Street. Free (suggested donation of £2), no booking required. Also at same times on 6th and 8th August 2015.
Celtic Summer School: The Celts – History and Archaology. What does ‘Celtic’ mean in contemporary history and archaeology? A people? A culture? A fiction? A modern movement? Neil Hargraves investigates. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Record Breakers Big Tower Build-Off: help to create a massive skyscraper – then knock it down! For ages 5-12: children under 8 years must be accompanied by someone over the age of 12. 11am-12 noon, Drumbrae Library Hub, Drum Brae Drive. All welcome!
Summer Wilderness Survival Skills: water, food, shelter and fire are the keys to survival – learn new skills from the ‘wild women’. 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.
Celtic Summer School: The Scottish Novel – Enlightened Fictions. Why has the novel been so important in shaping Scotland’s sense of itself? Fred Freeman encourages you to see Scottish fiction with fresh eyes. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Picturehouses Discover Tuesdays: the best in new and topical documentaries covering issues around the world. Today’s film is Alive Inside (12A): social worker Dan Cohen’s mission is to help people with Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s by waking up care establishments to the fact that an i-pod can be more revitalising than a pill. Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance, this part crowd-funded film celebrates the rejuvenating power of music and its profound ability to define who we are and reconnect us with who we were. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online; prices vary.
The Stunning Snail: crafts for children. 2pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free: all welcome!
Celtic Summer School: The Scottish Bagpipe and its European Connections. Follow the remarkable evolution of what has come to be seen as Scotland’s defining traditional instrument, and experience a range of pipes and piping first hand, with James MacDonald Reid. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. 
The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Nail Chat: polish, fake nails – and chat! For ages 12+. 6-7pm tonight and every Tuesday, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court.
St Mary’s Cathedral Tours: free tours of Scotland’s largest cathedral, a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. 10am today and every Tuesday in August, St Mary’s Cathedral (meet inside West Door), Palmerston Place. Free. Also at 2.15pm each Friday in August.
LGBT Language Cafe: a groundbreaking new project offering four facilitated sessions for LGBT people whose first language is not English. Each session will offer games and activities to help you improve your spoken English and the opportunity to meet other people in a safe and supportive environment. 6.30-8pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information and to book your free place please contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk – or just turn up on the night.
Glass 2015: a festival exhibition of the work of 30 glass makers, including Peter Layton, Paul Musgrove, Keiko Mukaide, Laura Birdsall and Laura McKinley. 10.30am-5.30pm, Gallery Ten, Stafford Street. Ends 31st August 2015.
Bernat Klein: A Life in Colour Panel Discussion. To coincide with the retrospective exhibition A Life in Colour, journalist Jackie McGlone, Lisa Mason (National Museum of Scotland) and Alison Harley (Heriot-Watt University) discuss the life and work of the acclaimed designer Bernat Klein. 6pm (please arrive by 5.45pm), Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 (price includes a glass of wine) and may be booked via eventbrite here. A Life in Colour continues at Dovecot Studios until 26th September 2015: see The Edinburgh Reporter’s listing here.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are aged 60+, join the Silver Screen Club and pay just £5 for these special screenings – with free tea, coffee and biscuits before the show! Today’s films are Eden (15) showing at 12.30pm, Inside Out (U) showing at 1.15pm and 3.40pm, Southpaw (15) showing at 3.20pm and The Legend of Barney Thomson (15) showing at 1pm and 3.30pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Withered Hand (Edinburgh-based musician Dan Willson) presents Gummo (18). 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Sofi’s Knitting Club: for knitters of all abilities – bring a project and learn or share skills. Other crafts welcome too! 7pm tonight and every Tuesday, Sofi’s, Henderson Street.
Edinburgh Art Festival: Embassy Presents Film Club. An evening of screenings curated by the artist-led gallery and shown in conjunction with Platform: 2015. 7-9.30pm, Festival Hub, 9 Blair Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.
WEDNESDAY 5TH AUGUST 2015
Celtic Summer School: Scotland’s Visual Arts. How have visual imagery and art shaped the way we see Scotland and its cultural identity? An exciting journey with Mairi McFadyen. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
A Tale of Two Canals: explore the history of the Union and the Forth & Clyde Canals and the building of the Falkirk Wheel with the Scottish Waterways Trust – free walking tours packed with quirky facts and fascinating stories! Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult; please wear sturdy boots or shoes and waterproof clothing. 1-3pm, The Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road, Tamfourhill. Book your free place via eventbrite here.
South Queensferry Library Support and Friendship Group: a new group, starting today, for anyone who fancies a bit of company – and cake! 2-3pm, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road. All welcome – please invite your friends and neighbours.
A Corstorphine Short Story: come and see how long a story everyone can make in one afternoon! For ages 9+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan. Free.
Celebrity Organ Recital: Peter Backhouse (Assistant Organist, St Giles’) plays CPE Bach Sonata in F, Franck Choral No 2 in B Minor, Francis Jackson Tritune, Bourgeois Serenade, and Widor Symphonie II. 8pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Tickets cost £8/£5 (students)/accompanied children free, and are available from the Cathedral shop (0131 226 0673), from the Fringe Festival Box Office by calling 0131 226 0000, online here, or on the door (sta).
Pixel Art Workshop: come along and make your own video game characters – and maybe learn how to animate them too! For ages 8-16. 5-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
Celtic Summer School: The Radical Tradition. Why is Scotland so stubbornly attached to democratic ideals? Discover the long tap roots of radical thinking and some key champions of the rights of the people with Stuart McHardy. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Summer Fun In The Courtyard: free family activities. Today: the chance to dig up the produce planted early in July and make some healthy-eating dishes with the Undercroft Cafe team. 11.30am, Courtyard, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. All welcome – free: participants will also receive a voucher for use in the Undercroft Cafe.
Freemachines: for ages 12-14. 5-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.
Celtic Summer School: Three Scottish Novels. Fred Freeman leads a session exploring three defining works: Sir Walter Scott’s The Bride of Lammermuir, John Galt’s Annals of the Parish and Lewis Grassic Gibbons’ Sunset Song. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Simon Thacker’s Ritmata: the Edinburgh classical/flamenco/jazz acoustic guitarist with his stellar line-up of some of Europe’s most gifted musicians – Paul Harrison (piano), Mario Caribe (bass) and Stu Brown (drums/percussion). ‘Stunning original patterns woven seamlessly into a new aural fabric, the delicious shock of the new alongside a further dismantling of musical boundaries, and total absorption in creative expression’. This will be the group’s last performance before their extensive tour of New Zealand. 7.30pm, Penicuik Arts Centre, 4 West Road, Penicuik. Tickets cost £12 (£10 for PCAA members) and are available from the Centre or online here.
A Fuller Life (15): a gripping film tribute to a true American maverick, Samuel Fuller, whose adventure-filled life as a journalist, infantryman, novelist and filmmaker spanned the entire world and encompassed major turning points in 20th century history. His body of work as a director, writer and producer is ‘one of the most radical and exhilarating in the history of American cinema’. Twelve prominent Fuller admirers use his own words to narrate his life story, accompanied by clips from his great films and never-before-seen images from his personal archive. 6.05pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online; prices vary. Also showing at 1.30pm and 8.30pm on Thursday 6th August 2015.
Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Phill Jupitus presents The Thirty Nine Steps (U). 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Bi & Beyond Edinburgh: a fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual or non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.
Revolutions and Evolutions in Magazine Publishing: in a brave new age of digital media, magazine publishing has gone from strength to strength – just how do publishers keep up with industry trends? The Society of Young Publishers has invited some of the UK’s biggest magazine publishers to this exciting panel discussion – including professionals from The Drum, Shout,The Big Issue and Hot Rum Cow. The panel will be chaired by PPA Scotland’s Nikki Simpson, organiser of Edinburgh’s annual Magfest. 6-8pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeney Street. Tickets cost £3 (SYP members free) and may be purchased via eventbrite here. Supported by PPA Scotland.
Record Breakers Superhero Masks! Create your own with Gavin. 2pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free: all welcome!
Andrea Popyordanova, Viktoriya Staykova and Mark Connolly: A Circus of Lakes. A new exhibition of paintings. Launch tonight with refreshments, 7.30pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street, then during usual opening hours. Ends 12th August 2015.
THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST 2015
Edinburgh Hiroshima Commemoration: Edinburgh CND has organised two events for its supporters to mark this anniversary – (i) 12 noon: floating of paper lanterns in the pool outside The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood (ii) 7-9pm: a vigil, to which you are encouraged to bring candles, songs, posters and words (or just yourself) at Mound Place. All welcome. For more information please see Edinburgh CND’s website here or email edinburghCND@yahoo.com.
Incognito: The Art of Disguise. A selling exhibition of tribal, ceremonial and performance masks from Africa and Asia. Traditional masks from Western and Central African tribes, including the Bamana, Guro and Kwale, a colourful selection of Topeng dance masks from Indonesia, curious masks from Northern India and contemporary Scottish works inspired by the traditional. Selected works by Glasgow-born artist and sculptor Dorothy Dick will accompany the main exhibition. Open preview with refreshments and live music from Rose Kagona of Jit Jive Band tonight 6-8pm, then during normal opening hours, The Nomad’s Tent, St Leonard’s Lane. Ends 31st August 2015. Sarah Worden, Senior Curator of African Collections at the National Museum of Scotland, will give a talk, Masks and Masquerade, at The Nomad’s Tent on 18th and 21st August – see The Nomad’s Tent website for details.
Pretty in Print: Lauren Wayland invites you to design and create a simple print of an Edinburgh object or landmark to take home with you. 2.30-4pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
There’s a Dragon in the Castle! Mike Durnan invites you to come and hear all about dragons, then make an amazing one yourself – bring your imagination and unleash your inner monster! 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £4 per person and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
Picturehouses Big Scream: screenings exclusively for babies under the age of 12 months and their parents or carers. Membership of the Big Scream Club is free – please ask at the Box Office – and tickets cost standard matinee prices. No adult without a baby will be admitted. Today’s film is Inside Out (U), an entrancing animated fable about 11 year old Riley, who is reluctantly uprooted from rural Minnesota to San Francisco, and whose emotions compete over how best to help her deal with the challenges of her new life. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Spotlight Tours: Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, City Art Centre (meet at reception), 2 Market Street. Free (suggested donation of £2), no booking required. Also on Saturday 8th August.
Celtic Summer School: Scotland’s Poetry – A Carrying Stream. Donald Smith shows hows bards, poets and song makers are the keel of Scotland’s cultural vessel. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Making Faces! Making for Grown-Ups. A special evening opening of the children’s Making Faces! activities for people over 16 only. Unleash your childlike, creative side with hands-on art making activities; drop into the studio this summer and get inspired by an amazing variety of portraits from across the National Galleries’ exhibitions and collections. 5-7pm, Clore 1, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
River Dipping: get into the river for this favourite activity! 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk
Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Bomb: an exhibition to commemorate Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Seventy years of film, music, art and literature come together in this interactive exhibition of popular culture exploring our love/hate relationship with the deadliest weapons on earth: nukes. Launch party tonight at 6pm, with music, comedy and spoken word, then 10am-5.30pm daily, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Organised by WMD Awareness, an organisation giving young people in Britain a voice in the debate on nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Ends 19th August 2015.
Looking Glass Books Presents Doug Johnstone: The Jump. The bestselling Scottish writer launches his latest novel, in which he uses the unique setting of the Forth Road Bridge to explore issues of grief, suicide and redemption. ‘A heart-stopping and moving psychological thriller’. 6.30pm, Looking Glass Books, Simpson Loan, Quartermile. To book your free place please email sophiep@faber.co.uk.
Record Breakers: Street Games. For ages 5-11. 2.30pm, Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North.
Alina Bzhehzinska: the critically-acclaimed harpist returns with a programme that includes jazz and world traditional tunes from her new book Steps to Excellence. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Celtic Summer School: Scots – A Musical Introduction. The best way to understand Scots is to hear it or to sing it. Fred Freeman offers both in this session, clearing away the linguistic cobwebs from the vigorous and pithy ‘mither tongue’. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Writers at the Fringe: every Thursday throughout the Fringe, Blackwell’s invites a selection of Scottish performers to give a taste of their work. New and unpublished works of literary art stand alongside established novelists, with any and all genres free to be expressed, from poetry to cutting-edge drama, folk music, contemporary fiction and all that is found between. Tonight’s line-up is Irene Taylor, Grahame Howard, Catherine Gault, Jonathan Whitelaw and Anne Donovan. 5.45pm for 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8229, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk, via eventbrite here or from the Fringe Box Office here.
Celtic Summer School: Burns and the National Music. Fred Freeman explains why Robert Burns is the defining figure in Scotland’s national music. Hear the songs as they ought to be heard and explore the musical legacy of Scotland’s national poet. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Ilona Szalay: Witness. A new exhibition by the award-winning Beirut-born painter, a stunning collection of Szalay’s trademark oil on glass paintings, including freestanding works for Arusha’s tall Georgian windows and a grid of fourteen glass works based on the artist’s self-portrait. Ilona’s paintings trace a path through a world of conflict and power play, a place of rigid hierarchy and fierce competition. The opening event tonight will include a unique chance to view a selection of the artist’s animations. Preview 6-9pm tonight, Arusha Gallery, 13a Dundas Street. Please contact gallery for subsequent opening times. Ends 31st August 2015.
The Scottish Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) James Morrison: The North Wind – new paintings by Scotland’s senior landscape painter, with subjects varying from epic views across Angus and the west coast, to descriptions of a summer hedgerow, humming with life; (2) Joan Eardley: In Context – this exhibition seeks to illuminate two important aspects of Joan Eardley, firstly to explore how she came to paint what she did, and secondly to tell the poignant story of how her dedication to the life of an artist inspired a number of painters to form a loose colony at Catterline. Other artists included in this exhibition are James Cowie, Angus Neil, Lilian Neilson and James Morrison. 
(3) Fine Lines: a showcase of applied arts – furniture, ceramics, sculpture, silversmithing, jewellery and glass – from international artists. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. All three exhibitions end 5th September 2015. The Scottish Gallery is a partner of Edinburgh Art Festival.
The Flint: Live Music Showcase. Free acoustic music sessions – tonight’s acts are The Bicycling Elk (soulful folk from Boda’s own Lucas) and samaniona, an Edinburgh-based folk-blues duo. 7-10pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. All welcome!
Nick Gould’s Jazzmain plays Horace Silver: the Edinburgh tenor sax player with his mainstream quintet, playing music from the amazing legacy of composer/pianist legend Horace Silver. Fresh from their successful Edinburgh Jazz Festival performance, the band consists of Ewan Mains (trumpet), Steve Grossart (piano), John Hay (bass) and Kevin Dorrian (drums). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note that this venue is cash only.
FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST 2015
Comic Art Workshop with Kev F Sutherland: find out how easy it is to write and draw comics and manga! A free comic art masterclass for ages 9-14 with Kev F Sutherland, whose work appears in The Beano, Marvel comics, Dr Who Adventures and lots more. At the end of the masterclass you will get a comic containing a strip from everyone, and your own comic caricature drawn by Kev! 2.30pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. Free but booking is required: please speak to a member of library staff or call the library on 0131 529 5528.
St Mary’s Cathedral Tours: free tours of Scotland’s largest cathedral, a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. 2.15pm today and every Friday in August, St Mary’s Cathedral (meet inside West Door), Palmerston Place. Free. Also at 10am each Tuesday in August.
La Ruleta de la Rutina (The Roulette of the Routine): a new exhibition. Launch with refreshments 8pm tonight, then usual opening hours, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. Ends 31st August 2015.
Record Breaking Sports: the last chance to see who can top the leader board for the library record! For ages 5+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan. Free.
Celtic Summer School: Landscape, Myth and Archaeology. What do Scotland’s ancient monuments mean – in their time and ours? Hear about the revolution in how we see the past and understand our ancestors, with Stuart McHardy. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School ends today; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Highland Walks: a new exhibition of landscapes by Keith Salmon. Open preview tonight 6-8pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Gallery on the Corner, 34 Northumberland Street. The Gallery on the Corner is a commercial art gallery and studio that represents and supports artwork produced by artists who have a physical or mental health condition or are from a disadvantaged background. It was the first social firm developed by Autism Ventures Scotland.
Dazzle: Jewellery. The exhibition returns for its fourth visit to the Dovecot (having been at the Fringe since 1983), with a stunning collection of over 2,000 pieces of contemporary jewellery from over 50 makers. The selection of work includes major names and exciting young talent, with an international representation. Dazzle will also showcase linocuts by Northumberland’s Janet Dickson and handmade Japanese scarves by Nuno Textiles. 10.30am-5.30pm, Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Ends 31st August 2015.
Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Gavin Mitchell presents The Fisher King (15), shown in tribute to the late Robin Williams. This screening will also be raising awareness for the Scottish Association for Mental Health. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Perfect Panoramas: the gallery’s collection is full of stunning landscapes and city views – artist Erik Petrie invites you to choose one you like and recreate it in your own style. Erik will introduce you to a host of new skills and art techniques! 2.30-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that this workshop is intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
Celtic Summer School: Saints and Pilgrims. Scotland’s spiritual legacy lives on in landscapes and stories. Enjoy a Pilgrim Guide to one of Scotland’s long neglected but now reviving traditions, with Donald Smith. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School ends today; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Phill Jupitus: Sketch Comic at the Scottish National Gallery. The legendary stand-up, poet and sketchman returns for another three weeks of digital drawing, chat and mirth. Each morning Phill will select and sketch (on an iPad) a favourite of his from the gallery collection. Come and watch, chat with Phill and join in on your own iPad or sketchbook – make and share your own sketches. Phill’s work will be posted on Facebook and Twitter each day and you are encouraged to post yours too. Phill will be at a different gallery each week, starting today at the Scottish National Gallery. Wednesdays will be special Sketch Comic for Kids sessions, but grown-ups are still welcome to come along. On Thursday evenings Phill will host an in-conversation event with a different special guest each time – see listing. 10am-12 noon today and every day until 13th August, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Dangerous Liaisons: a screening of Stephen Frears’ sumptuous 1988 adaptation of Francois Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This Academy Award winning classic film (cert. 15), a tale of aristocratic sexual intrigue in pre-revolutionary France, is shown as part of the Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. The Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition continues at the gallery until 13th September 2015.
Coburg House Summer Open Studios: over 80 artists in 50 studios on 4 floors offer a glimpse of the world within! There will be a wide range of works on show, from painting and printmaking to graphic design, architecture, landscape design, weaving, ceramics and jewellery: meet the creators and pick up a perfect hand-crafted piece. Open preview tonight 6-9pm, then 11am-6pm on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August, Coburg House Studios, 15 Coburg Street.
Audrey Grant Solo Exhibition: With all its eyes the natural world looks out into the Open (mit allen Augen sieht die Kreatur das Offene – from the Eighth Elegy, Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria Rilke). New paintings, mixed media works on paper and artist books by the Edinburgh-based visual artist. Preview tonight 6-8pm (RSVP to info@uniongallery.co.uk), then 10.30am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm Saturdays, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Union Gallery, 45 Broughton Street. Ends 7th September 2015.
Celtic Summer School: Seasonal Festivals and Folk Drama. Erin Farley leads a session about the rituals, folk dramas and beliefs that have survived through the centuries, as Scots past and present live through seasonal changes and the weather that shapes the environment. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School ends today; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day pass – see the Centre’s website for details.
Edinburgh Art Festival: GARAGE Presents Exit Strategies. Adrian Lee returns to GARAGE to explore the concepts behind health and safety motifs. Opens today at 4pm, then 12 noon-5pm Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August. GARAGE, Northumberland Street North West Lane. The artist will give a performance, The Scientologist Personality Test Pub Quiz, tonight at 7pm, local venue TBC – see GARAGE website for details. GARAGE is a DIY not-for-profit art space hosting live events throughout August.
SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST 2015
The Cramond Island Walk: a guided walk to Cramond Island, organised by The Cramond Association. Learn about the activities that took place on the island, see what remains exist of the early buildings, gain an understanding of the farming, the duel, the quarry and military activity. 2-4pm, starting from the Causeway. £3 per person, accompanied children free. To join the walk please email bill.weir312@btinternet.com. The Cramond Assocation is a thriving local community organisation, dedicated to looking after the special nature of Cramond, Barnton and Cammo, to encourage people to take an interest in the area, and to ensure the preservation, sound development and improvement of its features.
Edinburgh Vegan Festival: stalls with a wide variety of vegan products, workshops, speakers, freebies and much more – everyone welcome, whether you are already a vegan or are just interested in finding out more. Fun for all the family! 10.30am-4.30pm, Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square. Admission £2/£1/children under 5 years free.
Summer Storytime: Hugless Douglas Goes to Little School. Come and listen to David Melling’s latest Hugless Douglas story, then join in arts and activities related to the story. 12 noon, Waterstones, Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road.
The Art of Giving Opening Gala: a chance to meet the artists exhibiting in this charity art exhibition in support of International Voluntary Service. With refreshments and live music. 3-7pm (exhibition open from 10am), Undercroft Cafe, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Exhibition ends 29th August 2015.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours: monthly tours of the Gallery of Modern Art’s permanent collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Little Voices Summer Fayre: ice cream, face painting, raffle, bake stalls, cake decorating and lots more! 11am-2pm, Little Voices Nursery, 46 Bruntsfield Place.
Summer Storytime – Darkmouth: Worlds Explode. Fun and activities to celebrate the release of the sequel to the brilliant Darkmouth by Shane Hegarty. Waterstones, Fort Kinnaird, 26 Kinnaird Park.
Head-to-Head Sculpture City Walking Tours. A National Galleries of Scotland walking tour taking a fresh look at Edinburgh’s sculptural and architectural gems – hear the stories behind the city’s imposing figure sculptures and monuments. Please come dressed for the weather and be prepared to walk at a pace, as the tour will cover a large area of the city. 2-3.30pm, meet at main entrance, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. £10/£8: please book in advance as places are limited to 15 per tour – tickets are available from the gallery’s Information Desk or by calling 0131 624 6560.
Summer Storytime: Lost At The Zoo. Come and listen to Gill Arbuthnott’s Lost At The Zoo, in which Rory the pet mouse gets lost on a trip to Edinburgh Zoo – then join in arts and activities related to the story. 3pm, Waterstones, 83 George Street.
Strange Still LIfe: Lauren Wayland invites you to choose from a range of materials to create a zany mixed media still life mixture, using the gallery’s intriguing objects as inspiration. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. 
Please note that this workshop is intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair – Fringe Festival Edition! Over 30 stalls of vintage fashion, accessories and homeware. 11am-4pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeney Street. Entry costs £2. Also at same times on Sunday 9th August.
Summer Storytime: Come and listen to some stories by the brilliant children’s author Julia Donaldson, then join in related arts and activities. Waterstones, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. Please contact shop on 0131 554 7732 for times.
NMS Free Fringe Music: live music showcasing the best contemporary talents from Scotland and further afield – everything from bold brass to fantastic fiddlers. There will be a free performance every day until 30th August – for full daily details see the NMS website here. Today the programme kicks off with Will Pound and Henry Webster, a traditional instrumental duo playing mouth harp and fiddle. 2-2.40pm, Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Please note that some performances will take place in other areas of the museum. In association with Live Music Scotland.
Alice in Wonderland Tea Party: come and celebrate the 150th birthday of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with a tea party the Mad Hatter would be proud of! 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free but places are limited, so please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.
Toby Paterson in Conversation: the artist discusses his new work, a series of reliefs for Maggie’s Centres around Scotland, with exhibition curator Judith Winter. 3-4pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale. Free: no booking required.
Wee Man Mountain Climbers: puppet mountaineer races for ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court.
Edinburgh Gallery Festival Show: artists include Brent Millar, Anne Forbes, Jules George, Tio Guise, Graham Flack, Henry Kondracki and Michael Kirkman. 10am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm Saturdays, 11am-5pm Sundays, Edinburgh Gallery, 20A Dundas Street. Ends 29th August 2015. For more information contact peter.sinclair@mail.com.
The Line Gallery: John Taylor. A new exhibition of recent paintings and prints from the painter, printmaker (founder member of Glasgow Print Studios), teacher and commentator – including landscapes and more abstract city details. Open preview 2-4pm today (please contact gallery for opening times thereafter), The Line Gallery, 238 The High Street, Linlithgow. Ends 1st September 2015.
Learn to Play the Ukulele Workshops! Fun musical workshops for all ages and levels of experience (including beginners), hosted by celebrated ukulele artist and performer Tricity Vogue. Learn to play the ukulele in under an hour, then sit back with tea and biscuits and hear Tricity perform. The second half of the workshop will teach you to play along with Tricity’s own swinging tunes, ready for a final group performance. The Musicroom will be happy to lend you a ulukele for the workshop, and is offering discounts on purchases in August. 1-3pm, Rae McIntosh Musicroom, 41 Shandwick Place. For more information please call in and speak to a member of staff, or call the store on 0131 221 0041. Free and unticketed, but donations to the artist would be appreciated. Also at same times on Sunday 9th August 2015.
Spotlight Tours: Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, City Art Centre (meet at reception), 2 Market Street. Free (suggested donation of £2), no booking required.
Chatterbooks: for ages 8-12. 2pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free.
Portobello Comedy Night Fringe Special: acts include Patrick Monahan, John Scott, Ivo Graham and Steven Davidson. For over 18s only. 8.30pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Tickets cost £10 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here or from the Dalriada.
SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST 2015
Celebrity Organ Recitals: Duncan Ferguson, Organist and Master of Music, St Mary’s Cathedral. 4.45pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free: retiring collection.
Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today: LIAF – For Ages 0-6 (U). A programme of 14 short films from the London International Animation Festival, specially chosen for young children. This international showcase includes The New Species (Czech Republic), about three children who decide to seek scholarly wisdom from a paleontologist, Miriam’s Kite (Estonia), about a pet chicken that takes to the skies, and the charming My Mum is an Aeroplane (Russia/USA). 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online. LIAF: For Ages 7+ follows next Sunday.
Older But No Wiser: CODA’s 25th Birthday! Live music spread over three days to celebrate the specialist music shop’s anniversary; today a performance by multi-award winning Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis. Coda, 12 Bank Street. Please contact CODA for times. All welcome! Further events will take place on 15th and 16th August – see listings.
Garden Sculpture Tours: join Alexander ‘Twig’ Champion for a meditative tour around the Garden’s outdoor sculptures, including the works of John Chamberlain. The tour explores both Chamberlain’s outdoor works, installed as part of the summer exhibition in Inverleith House, and the Garden’s collection of outdoor sculptures, including major works by Ian Hamilton Finlay, Andy Goldsworthy, Barbara Hepworth and Alan Johnston. 2-3pm, meet at Inverleith House reception, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, all welcome, no booking required. Also at same time on 23rd August and 6th & 20th September.
St John’s Festival Pulpits: Scottish political leaders come to St John’s to explain what motivates them. The five main parties in Scotland will be represented, each one speaking after St John’s Festival Evensong on Sundays throughout August. Tonight’s speaker is Marco Biagi MSP, Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (SNP). 7pm (approx – after evensong service, which begins at 6pm), St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. All welcome, free. Next Sunday’s speaker will be Ruth Davidson MSP, Leader, Scottish Conservatives.
Made in Prague: the New Czech Cinema UK Tour 2015. The biennial UK showcase of contemporary Czech cinema is back for the fifth time, with five titles capturing the country’s dramatic past and its influence on contemporary life and culture. Today’s film is Burning Bush (Horici ker) (15) (In Czech with English subtitles), a mesmerising docudrama by Polish/US director Agnieszka Holland, who draws on her personal experience to portray the aftermath of the 1968 Soviet invasion. 2pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online: prices vary.
An Afternoon of Renaissance Viols with the Squair Mile Consort of Viols. An afternoon of Renaissance viol music performed in the historic rooms of the Museum. The Consort, formed in 1992, is dedicated to the great music composed for the viola de gamba (viol) from the 16th to the late 17th century. 2pm and 3pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. This event is free: please contact Margaret Findlay, Public Programmes Manager, on 0131 529 3963/margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk to check booking details.
Serenity Cafe Prize Bingo! 2pm for 2.30pm, Serenity Cafe, 8 Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, 111 Holyrood Road. Entry costs £5 and includes tea, coffee and cake. Serenity Cafe is run by people in recovery for people in recovery and for public customers who appreciate good value, good quality food served in a relaxed environment – a place to meet, have fun and feel comfortable. All events are drug and alcohol-free.
Cramond Kirk Festival Opening: the church will be open to visitors during the Edinburgh Festivals; volunteer stewards will be on hand. 2-4pm today and every day until 29th August, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road. All welcome.
White Light Black Rain: film and discussion. To mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, a screening of Steven Okazaki’s HBO documentary film, featuring fourteen Japanese survivors and four Americans involved in the bombings. 6-8.30pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Free (donations requested at the door) but please book your place via Brown Paper Tickets here. Organised by Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre and Edinburgh CND, with assistance from WMD Awareness. Guests arriving early will have the opportunity to see Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Bomb, WMD Awareness’s interactive exhibition (see listing August 6th).
St Giles’ At Six: Toni Fehse (trumpet) and Jonas Wilfert (organ). 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.
Picturehouse Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: Dziga Vertov’s Man With A Movie Camera (U), a film which met with bewilderment on its release but is now recognised as one of the most radical films of Soviet cinema, and a major influence on Godard, Marker and others, ‘an impressionistic, lyrical portrait of a day in the life of Moscow’s masses at work and play’. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
